Bonaparte soon found that his newly acquired power was likely to be shaken, not merely by foreign war, but by internal commotion, while the despotic authority, which he had formerly exercised, was peremptorily denied him by the chambers. Nearly the whole of the west, and many districts of the south of France, were rising in favour of the Bourbons, animated by the presence of the Duke de Berri at Angers, the Duke d'Angouleme on the shores of the Mediterranean, and the Duchess d'Angouleme at Bour deaux ; and though these illustrious personages were soon compelled to leave France, yet they had succeeded in rais ing a spirit of resistance, not less formidable from its ex tent and union, than from its determined character. In La Vendee, that former abode of loyalty to the Bout boos, a re gular and successful warfare in their behalf was carried on.
As soon as the allied powers were informed of the land ing of Bonaparte, they issued a declaration, dated the 13th of March, in which he was declared to have deprived him self of the protection of the law ; to have manifested to the universe, that there could be neither peace nor truce with him ; to have placed himself without the pale of civil and social relations ; and to have rendered himself liable to public vengeance, as an enemy and disturber of the tran quillity of the world. Against him, therefore, and in sup port of the legitimate sovereign of France, they resolved to make war. This declaration was strongly censured in England, as encouraging the assassination of Bonaparte; and though this interpretation was explicitly and indignant ly disavowed by the British ministry, yet, in the treaty among the allied powers, which was formed on this decla ration, it was thought proper to omit these passages. By this treaty, Great Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia, agreed each to furnish 150,000 men ; and not to lay down their arms until Bonaparte-was completely deprived of the pow er of exciting disturhances. When this treaty was ratified by Great Britain, a declaration was annexed, that there was no intention to interfere in the internal government of France : To this declaration the rest of the allies gave their formal and solemn assent. Even before the treaty was ra tified, the allied troops were in motion towards the frontiers of France; and two formidable armies, under the Duke of Wellington and were soon assembled in the vicinity of Brussels. The troops under the Duke of Wellington were composed of British, Germans, Dutch, and Belgians : Those under Blucher, of Prussians and Saxons ; but, in consequence of the mutinous spirit of the latter, most of them were sent back into Germany.
The preparations of Bonaparte were by no means com mensurate to those of the allies, nor indeed to the means which France afforded ; for it appears by the expose, that, on the 1st of May 1814, the land forces of France amount ed to more than 520,000 men of all descriptions, besides 122,597 on half pay, and 160,000 prisoners. By the treaty of Paris, all the prisoners were to be restored ; and, before the return of Bonaparte, they all had returned to France, except a few from Russia. Hence it would appear, that there must have been at least half a million of soldiers in France. How it happened that Bonaparte could avail him self of the services of so few of these, does not clearly ap pear. It is probable, however, that the exhausted state of France could not bear the equipment and support of a large army ; and it is certain, that the republican party were ve ry unwilling to place a numerous army under his controul. To this party, he found himself obliged more and more to succumb. When he first reached Paris, his ministers were Gaudin, Maret, Fouche, Davoust, Savary, and Bertrand. Anxious to confirm the idea that he had abandoned his love of conquest, and his despotic habits, Carnot was taken into the ministry, and Lucien Bonaparte was persuaded to leave Italy and come to Paris. But all these pledges of a re for med character,—his repeated declaration, that he would not commence hostilities,—and even the new constitution, and the assembly of the Champ de Mai, failed to stop the progress of the royalists, or to rouse the mass of the people in his behalf.
The manner in which the members of the assembly of the Champ de Mai were chosen, the character of those members, and their number, cannot accurately be ascer tained : out the known policy and practice of the French government at all times, as well as from the peculiar ne cessity which at this period existed, of imposing upon the French nation and the allies, by the appearance of a zea lous devotion to Bonaparte, there can be little doubt, that the Assembly of the Champ de Mai was in a great mea sure got up (to use a technical but expressive phrase) for effect. At the same time, it must be acknowledged, that in many parts of France very liberal, or perhaps licentious, notions respecting liberty again began to prevail ; and that from these parts, it is probable, deputies, freely chosen, and anxious to discharge their duty, were sent.